1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to painting and, more specifically, to paint brush guides and shields.
2. Description of the Art
While painting walls, ceilings, moldings, etc. it is frequently necessary to paint a straight edge between two abutting surfaces, such as an edge between two walls, one wall and a ceiling, or between a trim molding and a wall. Since this is difficult to do freehand, even by the most experienced painter, various devices have been developed to enable a painter to easily paint a straight line along an edge.
Painter's tape having a width of one inch or more is typically applied on the surface which is not to be painted. While the tape will keep paint from being applied to the surface which is not to be painted, the application of the tape to the wall or surface is time consuming, difficult to apply evenly in a straight line along the edge, and difficult to prevent the seepage of paint beneath the edge of the tape onto the surface which is not to be painted.
Shields in the form of a thin plastic member have also been slid along the edge as a barrier to keep paint from a paint brush on one side of the shield and off of the adjoining surface which is not to be painted. However, the use of such shields with a paint brush require two hands and a simultaneous coordinated movement of the shield and paint brush along an edge. This is difficult to do by inexperienced painters. Further, even for an experienced painter, the simultaneous movement of the paint brush and shield is difficult in certain conditions, such as along the edge of a ceiling, in narrow spaces, etc.
Other guides have been devised which are mountable on a paint brush, typically on the metal collar or ferrule between the handle and the bristles. Such guides are adapted to engage and slide along an edge to enable a painter to move the paint brush in a straight line and to apply paint evenly along the edge with only one hand.
Such guides have also been designed with a pivotal or other movement which moves the guide to be swung away from the bristles to enable the bristles to be dipped into a supply of paint without getting paint on the guide.
However, such guides are still angularly movable when engaging an edge between two adjacent wall or other surfaces thereby making it difficult to apply paint from the brush in a straight line along the edge.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a paint brush accessory which provides the dual functions of an edge guide and a paint shield. It would also be desirable to provide a paint brush guide and shield which is attachable to different width paint brushes and which can also be adjusted longitudinally aligned the longitudinal axis of the paint brush for advantageous use in different painting conditions. It would also be desirable to provide a paint brush guide and shield which is capable of maintaining the paint brush at a constant angle with respect to an edge during an application of paint along the edge.